Savannah residents oppose city plan for former fairgrounds site

Eric Curl @EricCurlSMN

Thursday

May 9, 2019 at 11:56 PMMay 10, 2019 at 8:04 AM

A new plan for the former Coastal Empire Fair site was met with opposition from about two dozen residents and Alderman Estella Shabazz on Thursday, leading the Savannah City Council to back off the recommendation about three years since acquiring the site for about $3 million.

Staff had recommended that the mayor and aldermen issue a request for proposals in an attempt to get a nonprofit to take one to two acres of the 67-acre-site off their hands, for $1, and develop as a public recreation facility at the organization’s sole expense.

The recommendation came after the Frank Callen Boys and Girls Club had approached the city about developing a new facility on the property, but any nonprofit would be eligible to submit a proposal for consideration, according to city officials.

Frank Callen Chairman John Brooks said that the new facility was part of the organization’s plan to increase the number of young people being served on a daily basis from about 350 to one thousand.

“We thought we were in line with what the city’s desires and needs were,” Brooks said.

The facility was to include basketball courts, an indoor running track, fitness room, full-size commercial-grade kitchen, dining area, classroom and meeting spaces, according to the city staff report.

But the group of residents, some with T-shirts stating their opposition, spoke out against the proposal that they said was made without their input.

“You’re treating us unfairly,” said Patricia Harris, who serves as president of the Poplar Place neighborhood adjacent to DeRenne Avenue. “We want to be represented.”

Some suggested the need for a development that would lead to job creation, with calls for the city to reconsider a previously rejected plan for a film production studio at the site. The council had unanimously voted in 2017 to reject the offer from state Rep. Craig Gordon’s private investment group, Aerospace Studios, to purchase 15 acres of the site fronting Meding Street for the studio. Others during Thursday’s meeting cited the need to develop more affordable housing.

Most of the city council had intended for affordable housing, along with some outdoor recreation, to be developed on the site when they agreed to purchase the property in 2016. Mayor Eddie DeLoach said Thursday the housing plan had spurred him to support the purchase of the property even though the city was paying $1 million more than it was worth.

The housing component was abandoned after area residents and Shabazz opposed the idea.

DeLoach said he then became supportive of the recreational plan and he questioned the opposition raised Thursday.

“One of the finest groups in the nation is looking for a place to go … and we’re acting like we have called in the plague to our community,” he said.

Shabazz said the recommended request for proposals had just “dropped out of the sky” without her knowledge and she called for a master plan to be developed before any decisions are made regarding the property.

“I did not know anything about this,” she said.

But City Manager Rob Hernandez said the proposed request for proposals was not developed in a vacuum, noting it came after Shabazz hosted several town hall meetings in which residents expressed clear opposition to housing and support for a recreational facility. Whether the city worked with Frank Callen or another organization, the intent was to build a facility that would be open to the community around the clock and save the city $15 million to $20 million, Hernandez said.

“By partnering with nonprofit providers, it’s a win-win for everybody,” he said.

The council ended up voting instead to have Hernandez enlist the assistance of the Urban Land Institute in developing a masterplan for the site at Shabazz’s request. The vote came after Shabazz had opposed recommendations from other council members to simply postpone the request for proposals in order to have more meetings with residents about the nonprofit plan.

In other actions, the council:

approved the issuance of $45 million in bonds to cover the estimated $165 million cost of constructing the new arena west of downtown.approved a property exchange in order to obtain land in the Highlands community west of Interstate 95. City officials say the trade will allow for the eventual construction of a municipal center annex with recreation facilities, playgrounds and a police substation to better serve Highlands residents.approved a rezoning request as part of Cardinal Capital Management's plan to develop a four-story, 57-unit senior living complex with a one-story medical clinic in Hudson Hill.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.